About me
You might be someone who appears to be coping on the outside, having become adept at wearing the masks that help you function, protect yourself, and keep life moving. But your inner experience tells a very different story. You feel anxious, overwhelmed, lonely, spiralling or stuck in patterns that are hard to shift. You may be used to holding everything together for others, even when it comes at a significant cost to your own mental health and wellbeing.
If support from others feels like not quite enough for you, or too much for them, therapy is a space where you don’t have to protect, reassure, or take care of anyone else.
I'm a fully qualified relational therapist offering individual counselling in central Bristol (Queen Square and Redcliffe) and online.
Sometimes therapy begins with the quiet feeling: “Finally, someone gets it". While insight can come in many ways, healing happens between two people.
Therapy with me offers a calm and discreet space to make sense of what feels confusing, painful, messy or difficult to carry alone; a space where things don't have to be neatly explained, and where we can gently find words for what has been difficult to express, or even acknowledge. I offer a therapeutic presence that can catalyze change in others. My approach aims to integrate evidence-based thinking in a way that supports relational depth.
Over time, this can help you:
- feel less overwhelmed or self-critical
- understand what’s underneath your anxiety, stress, or burnout
- recognise and change patterns that no longer serve you, particularly in relationships
- understand your emotions rather than feel controlled by them
- feel clearer around boundaries and more confident expressing them
- feel more present in your life and relationships, with a stronger sense of who you are and what matters to you
- feel more focused, confident, hopeful and more like yourself again.
I often support people who seem to be coping on the outside but feel anxious, overwhelmed, lonely, or not fully themselves inside - around relationships, family, shame, loss, identity, boundaries, authenticity or experiences of feeling unseen or judged.
My work within corporate and legal environments, combined with experience in NHS settings, has shaped my understanding of the pressures of caring roles, the expectations placed on professionals, and how these can affect wellbeing, mental health and relationships.
With a background in law and formal counselling training, I bring both clear thinking and emotional sensitivity to my work.
How I work
I see you as a whole person, not just a collection of symptoms. This means we can look at your lived experience- how you think, feel, relate, and respond, rather than focusing on one aspect in isolation.
My work is informed by approaches such as MBCT, ACT and CBT for anxiety, integrated within a relational and reflective way of working. This means we don’t just focus on managing symptoms, but on understanding what’s underneath them.
I have a particular interest in anxiety, stress, burnout, relationship difficulties, boundaries, identity, and questions of meaning or purpose. Many people come to therapy not because they are in crisis, but because they want greater clarity, a sense of direction, or explore what makes them tick.
I work with individual adult clients (18+ years) in Bristol and online and offer both short- and long-term therapy.
An LGBTQ+ affirmative and inclusive space where all identities and backgrounds are welcome.
Taking the Next Step
If you’re here, you’ve already taken the first step. You don't need to be in crisis to seek support. Sometimes it's enough to recognise that carrying on as you are no longer feels sustainable. We can start where you are.
I invite you to get in touch for a free 30 min online initial conversation - with no pressure to continue - an opportunity for us to discuss what brings you to therapy or answer any questions you might have. You're then welcome to take time to reflect and decide whether working together feels right for you.
Contact
If you would like to find out more, please feel free to contact me via email irina@irinacounselling.co.uk or visit my website www.irinacounselling.co.uk
Reach out even if you're not sure where to begin
"Irina created a space where I felt genuinely heard and understood, without judgement or pressure. Over time, I’ve been able to make sense of things that used to feel confusing and overwhelming, and I feel more like myself again." -Client testimonial
Training, qualifications & experience
- I am a qualified counsellor trained at the Bath Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy, level 6 equivalent, which is a BACP and UKCP accredited course.
- I am a member of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), abiding by their Ethical Framework, and a recognised healthcare provider for WPA.
- I also hold a Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) certificate from Oxford Mindfulness Foundation and studied law (LL.M).
- Some of the professional development that has shaped my practice includes engaging with Esther Perel’s work on intimacy and infidelity in couples, exploring the complexities of Chemsex, and recently completing a training that integrated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP) for working with anxiety. I’m also developing my skills with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an evidence-based therapeutic approach with strong research support for treating anxiety and depression.
As a counsellor, I've worked with a generous range of people including those experiencing: anxiety, burnout, negative self-perception, decreased sense of self, depression, addiction, relationship issues, trauma, terminal illness, guild, grief, shame, infidelity, social stigma or discrimination.
I have provided counselling for more than three years at The Swan Project, a charity that provides counselling primarily to those affected by addiction.
With a background in law and further training at the Bath Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy, I bring a unique blend of analytical skills and emotional intelligence to my practice.
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Therapies offered
Fees
£60.00 per session
Concessions offered for
Health Insurance/EAP
When I work
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Further information
Free initial 30 min online session
I offer sessions in a quiet, welcoming therapy room in Redcliffe, Bristol, as well as online for those who prefer the flexibility of working from home.
